Budget committee adopts a slate of agency budgets; CURB, KCC, legislature and others advanced to Appropriations

The committee reviewed and adopted budget recommendations for multiple agencies and legislative entities and forwarded them under the committee’s recommendations to the House Committee on Appropriations, as provided in HB 2007.

Citizens Utility Ratepayer Board (CURB): Chairperson Mosier presented the agency’s fee-funded budget. The board requested $1,400,000 from the utility regulatory fee fund and 9 full-time equivalent positions; the committee concurred with the recommendation and voted to advance the ANR committee’s recommendations to Appropriations. Chairperson Mosier summarized the agency’s role: "The Citizens Utility Ratepayer Board acts as an advocate for residential and small commercial utility rate payers in Kansas in order to protect their interest," and noted the agency is fee funded by quarterly assessments on utilities.

Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC): The committee reviewed the KCC request, which the presentation showed as $92.7 million in special revenue funds and 204.3 FTEs for FY25, a decrease from the prior approved amount driven by reduced federal receipts (including inflation-reduction and infrastructure funding). The agency’s FY26 request rose in part because of federal grants estimated to continue; committee members asked for clarification about the federal grants and were told funds include IRA and BIL receipts and grants for orphan well plugging and energy-efficiency home rebate programs.

Legislative branch budgets: The committee took up several legislature-facing budgets and adopted them as recommended. Highlights included a request of about $38.4 million for the Legislature in FY25 (including roughly $33.4 million SGF and $5 million in ARPA for a CALIS modernization project) and staffing and systems requests the committee reviewed; the Legislative Coordinating Council, Legislative Research Department, Office of Reviser of Statutes and Legislative Division of Post Audit were each reported and advanced with committee concurrence and some line deletions or technical adjustments.

Other items: The Social Services Budget Committee advanced the Healthcare Stabilization Fund budget (fee funded, no SGF). The committee also reported on Osawatomie State Hospital’s budgets, adding a partial FY25 contract-nursing add-back and discussing capacity and unit staffing; members noted Adaire Acute Care opened with new single-room beds and that total certified beds across both Osawatomie units are 206 with an estimated average daily census of about 103.

Votes at a glance (committee actions forwarded to Appropriations): - Citizens Utility Ratepayer Board (CURB) budget — advanced (motion adopted) - Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) budget — advanced (motion adopted) - Legislature (FY25–26) budget recommendations including ARPA funds for CALIS — advanced (motion adopted) - Legislative Coordinating Council (LCC) — advanced (motion adopted) - Legislative Research Department (KLRD) — advanced (motion adopted) - Office of Reviser of Statutes — advanced (motion adopted) - Legislative Division of Post Audit — advanced (motion adopted) - Healthcare Stabilization Fund — advanced (motion adopted) - Osawatomie State Hospital budgets — advanced as amended (motion adopted)

Committee members asked staff and agencies for follow-up information on multiple technical points including federal grant purposes for KCC receipts, implementation timing for personnel costs and reappropriation details. Most adoption motions were passed by voice vote with no recorded roll calls in the transcript.

Ending: Committee chairs said the committee had completed its agenda and would reconvene the following day; the committee’s recommendations will be reflected in its formal report to the House Appropriations Committee.